Breast cancer in men is rare, accounting for less than 1 percent of all breast cancer diagnoses.  Each year, an estimated 2,000 new cases of male breast cancer are reported, as well as 450 deaths from the disease, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS).

Risk factors that increase a man’s chances of developing breast cancer include:

• Radiation exposure
  
  
• Estrogen administration
  
  
• Diseases associated with excess accumulation of female hormones, such as cirrhosis of the liver 
  
  
• Family history of several female relatives with breast cancer
  
  
• Genetic predisposition such as BRCA1 gene mutation

The progression of breast cancer in men is similar to that in women. Nearly all breast cancers are adenocarcinomas with the most common type being infiltrating ductal carcinoma.

Men and women have similar survival rates for the different stages of breast cancer, which depend on the size of the mass and whether or not it has spread to the lymph nodes or beyond. However, male breast cancer is less likely to be detected early because most men mistakenly believe that only women can develop this disease.

As with survival rates and prognosis, treatment options for breast cancer are the same for men and women. Various combinations of surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy and hormone therapy are options in the treatment of male breast cancer. A patient's treatment plan depends on the type of cancer, size and location of the tumor and the overall health of the individual.